ABO blood group activities in human albumin preparations

By using hemagglutination-inhibition technique, A and B blood group activities were demonstrated in all of the tested batches of Plasma Protein Fraction and Human Serum Albumin prepared by one manufacturer in the period of 1975-1978; whereas all the tested batches prepared by other manufacturers were found to be free of blood group activities. With some batches of Plasma Protein Fraction prepared by the above-mentioned manufacturer, the presence A blood group activity was confirmed by the anti-A response in immunized rabbits. The blood group activities were localized in earlier fractions in Sephadex G-200 gel filtration analysis. The active principles were resistant to boiling for one hour. They were recovered in the aqueous phase by chilled buthanol treatment and could not be extracted with chloroform-methanol. These results seem to suggest that the blood group active principles detected in the albumin preparations are more likely of water-soluble glycoprotein nature than being glycosphingolipids.